Mini-wars Are Fought At New Jcc Store

Players Can Re-create Famous Battles In Its Game Room

June 21, 2000|By KARA VICK Daily Press

JAMES CITY — The battlefield is an 8-foot-wide table covered with green felt. And the soldiers, guns drawn, stand just 15 millimeters tall. The fighting begins with the roll of a dice and the flip of a card.

The French-Austrian side of the Seven Years' War pulls "heroic movement" and "cavalry move" cards, allowing the miniature soldiers to advance 36 inches, edging some of the Prussians off the table.

Matt Paige smiles at his victory. But because the battle is not complete, the joy is temporary. He has to plot for the next attack. After all, this is war - and things can change.

Welcome to the newest - or oldest - game in town: wargaming. The store and game room - History in Miniature - was opened two weeks ago in Lightfoot by friends Joe Brimer and Scott Bahrke.

Using miniature figures fighting different military battles in history, players strategize attacks, advance on the enemy and defend their land.

There are rules - for example, sometimes players must use tactics appropriate for the time period. For example, Civil War soldiers wouldn't have used machine guns in battle.

Even though the battles are re-creations of real fights, the results - which side wins - don't have to follow history. The game ends when one player gives up, loses his soldiers in attacks or all his soldiers' "morale chips" are eliminated.

During Tuesday's game between Paige and Brimer, the battle pauses when lunch arrives.

"All the rations are here,'' Brimer jokes.

Brimer's and Bahrke's shop and game room are becoming popular with area wargaming enthusiasts as word spreads of its opening.

"When people game, they spend as much time talking about the historical aspect of the battles as they do playing,'' said Paige, a regular customer who is between noncivilian jobs at Fort Eustis and lives in Williamsburg.

In addition to the free gaming space, the shop sells gaming merchandise, including painted and unpainted figures, historical books and scenery.

Research books assist gamers with campaign strategies and uniforms of soldiers in certain battles - from the 1300 B.C. clash of the Qadesh to the Gulf War.

The shop also carries historic prints, movies and board games. Original and recreated militaria, such as sabers and British regimental drums, also can be purchased. One of the store's most prized military relics is a saber from the Franco-Prussian War dating to 1870.

Brimer and Bahrke, who have both gamed since they were children, met while on military duty in Germany in 1990. Brimer, a retired noncommissioned officer for the Air Force, would host games at his home.

He'd also take the gaming figures to schools to talk about historic military battles.

After leaving Germany, Brimer and Bahrke knew they wanted to set up a shop but wondered about a location.

They settled on coming to Williamsburg because of the Colonial interest and tourism base. Another plus, they discovered, is the military presence in the area.

"It's rich in history. It just seemed appropriate,'' said Bahrke, who left the Army after four years and is originally from Wisconsin.

"It's an idea we had for years and years,'' said Brimer, who grew up in Portsmouth.

While they both like trying to outmaneuver their opponents, Brimer and Bahrke say they enjoy all aspects of wargaming, including the historical research, the painting of the figures and the game setup.

"The idea is not just to play a game but to re-enact the military strategies and what it was like at that time,'' Brimer said. "It's an art form."

Kara Vick can be reached at 229-3784 or by e-mail at kvick@dailypress.com